Ch 3 - Without a Trace
As the music from the stereo speakers blasted ,Max could feel a headache developing. She stood in a corner, trying to avoid the flashing lights Chelsea rented. In every corner of the room, there was a teenage couple making out. She giggled to herself because she felt like the only person that was there without a date and the fact that she still hadn't told Terry about Dana seeing other guys. Wayne had let Terry go early so he was able to make it to make it to the party. She could see him in the middle of the dance floor with Dana. "Slagit" she said as she marched towards Terry. She whispered in his ear that she needed to talk to him. They left the house and want to the back yard. Terry could tell by the look on Max's face that something was wrong.
" What's the matter? You look worried." They sat at the picnic table across from each other. Max couldn't stop looking at her hands.
" The other day, Chelsea told me something about Dana."
" What?"
" She's been seeing other guys." Terry couldn't help laughing. Max's jaw dropped to the ground as she watched. " Terry?"
He ran his hands along his pants as he got himself together. " That's funny."
" I'm serious, Terry."
He started to shake his head. " No way. As much hell as she gives me for not being there for her, there's no way she would do that to me."
" Ask Jared and Nelson. Or Jared at least if you don't believe me. "
" You're right ,I don't believe you. What I don't understand is, how you could make something like this up and tell me."
" I'm not making this up ,Terry." Max could feel tears forming in her eyes. She looked down at the ground hoping that Terry wouldn't notice.
" Dana's suppose to be your friend. If you knew how much Dana loves me, then you wouldn't say that. No friend of mine would." He got up from the table leaving Max feeling worse then before. She didn't notice Chelsea sit down next to her.
" You ok?" She whispered as Max lifted her head and whipped tears from her eyes
" No. My best friend just called me a liar because his girlfriend is cheating on him."
" He'll come to." Max shook her head slowly.
" I've never seen him so mad. Not like this anyway. Not at me. And Dana's gonna keep seeing him like nothings wrong. It's not fair. She complains about him not being there for her so she goes behind his back and dates other guys instead of having the decency to breakup with him." There was a long silence between them.
" You like him don't you?" Chelsea asked
" What?" Chelsea began to smile
" You like ,Terry don't you"
" No……I'm hopelessly in love with him."
" You should tell him."
Max shook her head ." No. He already thinks I'm trying to break him and Dana up."
" Max there's nothing there between them. You and him would be perfect for each other."
" Tell him that. I'm gonna go home."
" You sure?"
" Yeah. I'll order a pizza from Cheesy Dan's, take a shower, watch a few movies, and sleep. I'll be fine."
" I'll get someone to drop you off."
" No thanks." Max said with a smile on her face. " I'll walk. I could use it."
" Call me when you get home."
" I will."
Chelsea watched Max as she walked towards the front of the house. She sighed as she left the picnic table and went in the house.
* * * *
It was after midnight when Terry got home from Chelsea's party. The conversation he had had with Max was stuck in his head. He felt terrible about yelling at Max the way he did. He grabbed the phone off his bookcase and dialed Max's number as he sat on his bed. He let the other line ring six times before hanging up. He laid on the bed putting his arm over his eyes.
" Congratulations McGinnis, your an idiot." he said to himself out load
" I could have told you that." He took his arm away from his eyes and saw Matt standing at the edge of the bed.
" Why aren't you asleep?" Terry asked as he sat up.
" I'm not tired."
" Yeah well, mom's gonna rip you a new one if she finds out your still awake."
" Who were you calling?"
Terry started to become frustrated with Matt "None of your business."
" I bet it was Dana." He started making kissing noises as Terry chased him out of the room. He could hear Matt call him a dreg from the hall. Right now he felt like the biggest dreg in Gotham. He locked his bedroom door and laid in his bed thinking about what Max told him. He didn't mean to blowup at her the way he did but he couldn't help it. He wanted to apologize to her but since she wasn't answering the some, he could understand why. He'd have to do it in the morning. The weekend went by quickly for Terry. Although nothing seemed out of the ordinary, Terry still hadn't talked to Max and the longer he went without talking to her the worse he felt. It wasn't until that Monday at school that Terry knew some thing was wrong. As all the students took their seats he realized that Max wasn't there. He looked around to make sure she wasn't sitting some place else. Terry gathered his things in his book bag and went to Wayne's.
" I've been calling her apartment all weekend and today she doesn't show up for class."
" Maybe she's sick." Bruce never looked up from the computer.
"She could have the flu and she'd show up for class."
" Did you go by the apartment?"
" Yeap." He leaned against the giant computer and rubbed his forehead.
" She's at that apartment. She's just ignoring you. Trust me." When Bruce looks up at Terry ,he smiled. Terry left the cave and rode his bike to Max's. He knocked on the door a few times before picking the lock. It was hard to tell weather Max had been there on not. She always kept the apartment neat. Terry found her book bag on the couch with her ID handing out. He remembered watching her put it there Friday after school. He found everything the way it was when she left to help Chelsea set up that Friday. Terry called Bruce on his cell phone.
" All her stuff is still here. It looks like she hasn't been here in days." Terry began to pace back and forth.
" Was the door locked?"
" It was until I picked the lock to get in."
" Come back here and I'll think of something." Terry hung up the phone, as he looked around one more time.
" Where are you?" He asked the empty apartment as if to expect it to answer. He shut off the lights and left the apartment.
